Toppled Tanya Plibersek’s tips for minister Jason Clare

New Education Minister Jason Clare is taking ­advice from ‘super­star’ Tanya Plibersek, the woman who was sidelined to give him his dream job.

Jason Clare shakes hands with Governor-General David Hurley after being sworn in as Education Minister. Picture:NCA NewsWire / Andrew Taylor

New Education Minister Jason Clare is taking ­advice from “super­star” Tanya Plibersek, the woman who was sidelined to give him his dream job.

In praising Ms Plibersek, Mr Clare said she had been sending him phone numbers of key contacts and helping him get on top of his surprise new portfolio.

“We had a big chat yesterday,” he said. “She’s been flicking me through the phone numbers of people to reach out to.

“I’ll be picking Tanya’s big brain. She’s a superstar, she’s amazing.’’

Ms Plibersek, long seen as a leadership contender to Anthony Albanese, spent six years as Labor’s education and women’s spokeswoman in opposition ­before being sidelined to the environment and water portfolio on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stripped Tanya Plibersek of her long-held education portfolio. Picture: Liam Kidston

Mr Clare said he did not find out that he had been given the education portfolio until Tuesday afternoon, a few hours before the Prime Minister unveiled his cabinet.

“It’s always been my dream to do this job, but it took me by surprise,’’ he said.

“On Tuesday afternoon Albo rang and asked if I’d serve in the job of minister of education. Of course I was really happy and said ‘You bet’.’’

The challenge of helping children recover from Covid-19 disruptions will be a priority for Mr Clare, who was Labor’s housing spokesman before his elevation to the education portfolio.

“The pandemic exposed the fact some families are under pressure and it has a flow-on effect to the kids,’’ he said.

“Home schooling when ­English was a second language was really, really hard.’’

Mr Clare said parents had told him they felt they were “letting their kids down’’ because they could not supervise home schooling or help with homework.

“These are parents who understand intimately the importance of education and they just want the best for their kids,’’ he said.

Jason Clare with his child at his ministerial swearing-in. Picture:NCA NewsWire / Andrew Taylor

A new survey by the Smith Family, a charity that supports disadvantaged students, reveals that three out of four families it ­assists struggled to help their children with schoolwork during the pandemic.

The survey of 1100 parents and carers found that 70 per cent were worried about their children’s schoolwork in the future, and half felt that ongoing Covid-19 ­disruptions had made it harder for their children to learn. Smith Family chief executive Doug ­Taylor said some parents had to choose between paying a power bill or feeding their kids breakfast.

“Parents are greatly concerned their children will continue to fall behind (at school),’’ Mr Taylor said.

“The majority of parents and carers we are supporting didn’t complete their education, so have a lack of confidence in supporting their child (at school).’’

The Smith Family sponsors 58,000 students through its Learn for Life program – up from 32,000 just five years ago – and helps 180,000 children and young ­people through programs including after-school tutoring and the supply of laptops or internet data.

Single mother Qim Kauwhata was forced to leave her house during the February floods, when daughters Phoenix, 14, and Lyriq, 12, lost all their school supplies as a torrent of muddy water tore through their home in Ipswich, west of Brisbane.

Qim Kauwhata with her daughter Phoenix at their recently flood affected home in Ipswich. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

As a New Zealand citizen, Ms Kauwhata did not qualify for any flood-relief payments, so the Smith Family stepped in to help pay for replacement uniforms, textbooks and a laptop.

Phoenix, who is in Year 9, feels she has still not caught up on schoolwork after the floods and Covid-19 disruptions that ­included home schooling at the start of high school and intermittent classroom closures.

“Because of the floods, everyone had a lot of days off,’’ the ­aspiring singer said.

“We don’t get extensions (for assignments) so everybody is more stressed because there’s more work to be done.’’